Rain Effect

[DSA]

Hi,

 

I found this forum yesterday, and it looks like it could be really helpful.

 

Anyway, first let me tell you who I am.

 

I am in charge of all the lighting and Sound at Pate's Grammar School in Cheltenham and hope that you can help me my latest problem from the director of our next play (which is 'Hay Fever').

 

He has suggested that it might be nice to have an unobtrusive rain effect to be seen through one of the windows at the back of the set. The problem is that there is only about 3 foot clearance from this window to the backwall, and actors have to pass this point (behind the set, to get from one wing to the other).

 

I was thinking that a projection effect would probably work, or some sort of (?rotating) gobo??, but I have no real experience in this field. At school we have lots of LCD projectors which could be used, as well as other usual lighting stuff.

 

I hope you can help - if you need any more information I will hopefully be able to provide it.

 

Thanks,

David

[andy_s]

if the effect is limited to the window area, you could think about real water - trough at the bottom of the window to catch the water, pump to send it back up to a bit of hose with holes pierced in it is the simplest - although there may be some Health and Safety issues to do with possible contamination of recycled water. if you could attach it to a tap and run the excess off to a drain, this avoids that problem, but is a bit wasteful. It can be very effective - I saw a production of Brief Encounter on stage with "real" rain behind an 8 metre long run of windows. It provided it's own sound effect as well.....

Of course you have to ensure that there is no risk of water coming into contact with anything electrical....

 

it might be just as effective, and much simpler, to go for the "sound effect only" option, if you avoid the more violent recorded rainstorms which can sound like chips frying unless carefully handled.

[DSA]

well, yes thats always a problem (electrics and water........)

 

Any ideas on a projection type thing....

 

David

[andy_s]

if you want to use projection - have a look at DHA website (sorry don't know the precise address) for examples of using gobos in conjunction with animation discs for this type of effect. if it is a small window, you might not need too much throw distance to get the beam spread required, but beware of actors moving between light source and window and casting big ugly shadows - you have to be able to establish a no-go zone or scedule actor movements to coincide with periods when the effect is not being used - potentially a nightmare. I've never tried back-projecting this kind of effect, but it works well enough from the front. the quality of the image will probably be very dependant on the quality of the surface you are projecting onto - how opaque / frosted..

 

(added) - oh and by the way, you probably want a non moving gobo with an animation wheel, not a gobo rotator - you want an effect that looks linear, and the rotating gobo would give a circular effect - great for "Hypnotist spirally things"...

[fredt]

You could use a snow bag type thing filled with rice, it tends to look very water like from the front. Have a big cloth on the floor, and many brooms, though...

[Peter Russell]

I was thinking that a projection effect would probably work, or some sort of (?rotating) gobo??, but I have no real experience in this field. At school we have lots of LCD projectors which could be used, as well as other usual lighting stuff.

One possibility might be to use an lcd projector. This depends on the size of the window but, you could film a piece of glass/perspex with real water running across it and then project this onto a rear projection screen (or bit of white cloth if you are feeling cheap) upstage of the window. You could also film through the same piece of glass without the rain and this would mean that the audience can see through the window to the outside of the room that your play is taking place in.

I haven't tried this before but it could work, what does anyone else think, or am I just complicating things? :P :) :** laughs out loud **:

Peter

[James]

it might be just as effective, and much simpler, to go for the "sound effect only" option, if you avoid the more violent recorded rainstorms which can sound like chips frying unless carefully handled

 

Oh and I'm sure you would anyway but consider rigging a speaker behind the window, just so to get the directional source of the sound fixed for the audience.

[DSA]

That LCD idea sounds good, but there are a few problems:

 

1) The clearance behind the screen is only about a foot.

 

2) I would need to film in a suitable location.

 

3) I would need about 3 hours of tape (or is there some way of looping it) - wat do you suggest?

 

I want this to look good, but not too overpowering - if you see what I mean!!

 

Thanks for ideas so far,

 

David

 

P.S. Im not sure about these real water and rice ideas etc.

It could be a bit of a hazard/pain to clear up - esp. as there are actors passing through the small clearance.

[dominicgross]

I'm not sure if anyone else has seen this but it is possible to make/rent/buy a self contained raining window (depending on size).

 

All you would need is 2 sheets of perspex, some strips as sides, silicone sealant and some hose and a pump.

Then all you do is make a rectangle that is water tight, plumb up the pump, fly it = instant window??

[DSA]

umm good idea, but I expect it would look a little manudactured and not real - it does need to look like rain and not a garden water feature that Alan Titchmarsh would put on one of his programmes...

 

It does have potential though.

 

My only question regarding real water lies in controlling the pressure - surely the randomness of the rain would be lost and it would look rather like a urinal?

 

David

[andy_s]

to "control" the randomness of the real water, one way this can be done is to pump the water through hose pipe with holes pricked in it which is then wrapped in foam pipe lagging - this means the water oozes rather than spurts, and drips build up in a very realistic way.

 

if you prefer to go down the lcd route, you could try using a mirror to divert the projector beam, giving you an extended throw distance and a larger image size in a cramped space. Not particularly rain - related, but if you are interested in using video or film in live theatre, try and see a touring company called Forkbeard Fantasy if they come your way - they do some very clever things with screens and moving images.

[peter]

Not particularly rain - related, but if you are interested in using video or film in live theatre, try and see a touring company called Forkbeard Fantasy if they come your way - they do some very clever things with screens and moving images.

Totally agree - their Dracula is fantastic (not sure if its still touring) - probably one of the funniest things I've ever seen.

[robloxley]

if you prefer to go down the lcd route, you could try using a mirror to divert the projector beam, giving you an extended throw distance and a larger image size in a cramped space.

Aaah, the old front silvered optically flat mirror - that'll be cheap then! Agreed however you could probably use a bathroom mirror for a rain effect, but don't bother trying with one for decent video/ film reflection!

[Tom]

Totally agree - their Dracula is fantastic (not sure if its still touring) - probably one of the funniest things I've ever seen.

I think you'll find it was Frankenstein but yes, very good. It's not touring any more unfortunately but their new show starts rehearsals in February and does a short tour (Bath, Salford and Brighton I believe) in March

Forkbeard Website for those that are interested.

[peter]

Doh... obviously made a big impression on me, eh :) ... It was fantastic anyway...